


Of Sunflowers and Bolts

by Pandan



Category: Boruto: Naruto Next Generations, Naruto
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Twins, Angst and Humor, Canon-Typical Violence, F/M, Implied Relationships, It Gets Worse Before It Gets Better, M/M, Mental Health Issues, Psychological Drama, Sexuality Crisis, This Is Why We Can't Have Nice Things, We Stan A Whiskered Queen, it's complicated - Freeform, the calm before the storm
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-07
Updated: 2020-10-07
Packaged: 2021-03-07 15:54:36
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,078
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26830237
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pandan/pseuds/Pandan
Summary: Though they initially had their hands full, Uzumaki Naruto and Hinata were the proud parents of a pair of genius twins named Boruto and Himawari. Boruto inherited his grandfather’s talent and his father’s unpredictability while Himawari inherited her mother’s compassion and her grandmother’s strength.Together, they’d support each other and go far in life or so the young parents initially thought.Life’s a complicated and messy thing.
Relationships: Minor or Background Relationship(s), Mitsuki/Uzumaki Boruto, Uzumaki Himawari/Yamanaka Inojin
Comments: 2
Kudos: 19





	1. The Uzumaki Family

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All the ideas from "A Sunflower Hidden In the Leaves" that got scrapped are here, kek. There is a bit of overlap in terms of abilities, but the plots are drastically different. We don't know why Himawari and Boruto aren't twins in canon, Hizashi and Hiashi were twins and the gene skipped Hinata and Neji's generation, so...guess Kishimoto forgot. 
> 
> This is essentially a retelling of the events of Boruto, so if those aren't your thing (and InoHima/MitsuBoru isn't either) - you won't enjoy this much. This series also fixes some issues Pan and I have with the overall Boruto canon. Grammar Nazis beware - this work isn't exactly perfect, but it should be readable!
> 
> Hima's Outfit that we're visualizing - https://www.zerochan.net/1815049

It wasn't often that Uzumaki Naruto had a day off. 

Since he became Hokage, most of his days were spent under mountains of the paperwork carefully supervised by his long-time friend Nara Shikamaru. When he came home, it was usually either to sleep or grab a change of clothes before heading back to the hell hole needed to keep the world at large safe. A rewarding and daunting task. Yet, today was a very rare day indeed. Shikamaru offered him the chance to not only go home and spend the day with his precious family - he didn't have to leave a shadow clone in the office. 

It was truly a relaxing day off where Uzumaki Naruto could find out more about what was going in the lives of beloved children. They started attending the Academy a short while ago, he was interested in finding out from them the shenanigans they'd gotten themselves into. He heard (and saw) that they destroyed their classroom. He wanted to know more about that.

With a shit-eating-grin Naruto opened the door, a single sentence making him beam with joy.

"I'm home, ah-" 

His eyes widened to saucers as he watched his oldest child bolt through the door - almost knocking him over in the process. 

"Sup, old man - I have something to do with Shikadai!" Boruto grinned, "Gotta run!" 

Boruto quickly ran into the streets, disappearing beyond a corner. Naruto laughed nervously, at least the boy was in good spirits. He closed the door and entered their house, greeted by the familiar smile of his daughter. But this wasn't a genuine smile, it was a nervous one. Himawari waved at him with her free hand, the other hidden behind her back. He raised his eyebrow but chose not to say anything. 

"Welcome home, Dad. Thank you for your hard work!" She greeted, "Do you want me and Mom to make you a bag?"

He shook his head, "That won't be necessary, Hima. I've got the day off today."

"You and Mama have the house all to yourselves then," She stealthily slipped the item into her waist bag, "Boruto is going to be with Shikadai-kun all day, and I promised I'd hang out with Inojin-kun." 

"Oh? What are you two going to be up to?" 

"I asked him to show me how to make flower crowns," Himawari smiled, "Maybe we'll do our homework too." 

"Have fun," Naruto said as he gently ruffled her hair, "I want to hear all about the things you're doing in the Academy when you get back." 

"I'll be sure to come home early enough then. Bye!" 

And so, like her brother before her - Himawari dashed off. It took Naruto longer than he would have liked to admit to realise that Himawari was going to be alone with a boy (and when he did, he did a double-take) pinching his nose bridge with a sigh. Inojin was Ino's son, so he expected him to be a decent young man - but then again, he was also Sai's son. Naruto was not ready to cope with the idea of Himawari getting crushes on boys yet, and his blood began to boil when he thought of her dating. 

Himawari will date when he's rotting, and get married when the Fifth Shinobi War starts.

The Seventh Hokage calmed by pouring himself a glass of water from the fridge. As he chugged the cold liquid; he found himself smiling bittersweetly. The house was quiet without two sets of feet constantly running around it. While Boruto was more hyperactive than Himawari ever was - the two would constantly roughhouse and Himawari was always bad at holding back her strength. He could testify to that fact - he missed his own inauguration because she knocked him out.

"Those two are going to be genin soon, huh?" He thought out loud, "Why couldn't they just stay kids forever? That would make it so much easier."

His wife's voice replied, "Watching them leave the nest is the worse part, right? Though I suppose, if they did stay kids forever, we'd be stuck with laundry duty."

Naruto laughed, turning around to give Hinata a gentle peck on the forehead. She smiled at him, happily taking his hand and holding it tightly. To him, there was no one else he could imagine coming home to. Hinata's accepting warmth was something that would never be replaced. 

"How long do you have?" 

"The entire day," Naruto replied with a smile, "Shikamaru said I can use the day off. I was hoping we'd spend it as a family but, the kids have other ideas, it seems." 

Hinata chuckled, "Boruto and Shikadai have always hung out on the weekends. Himawari tends to visit Father and Hanabi to train, but it would seem Inojin has taken preference this weekend. Either way, it's usually just me." 

"Should we try to full up the house more?" Naruto joked, "The more members of the Uzumaki-Namikaze-Hyuuga line the better, I'd say." 

Hinata clutched her cheeks as they glowed bright red, "Naruto-kun, such a thing is-" 

Naruto erupted into a loud, boisterous laugh as he guided Hinata and himself to the sofa. They cuddled together warmly, Naruto resting his head on Hinata's lap as she gently stroked his head. Being around Hinata was a healing endeavour. Even Kurama had difficult not acknowledging how supportive and sweet she was. The two stayed like this for a while. In the quietness of an empty nest, they enjoyed each other's presence and revelled in the bond they shared.

He wasn't sure when, but Naruto fell asleep. 

It didn't feel like he slept that long, but it was enough to make him fully rejuvenated. When his eyes fluttered open, he was greeted by Hinata's ever-patient smile and loving grace. He rose slowly, yawning as Hinata chuckled. 

"Sorry," He apologised, "How long was I out?" 

"It's been about eleven hours," Hinata said quietly, "I should start preparing dinner, the children will come home soon." 

Naruto's mouth widened, "I slept the entire day?! Why didn't you wake me up?!" 

"You were sleeping so soundly, that I couldn't it in myself to do it," Hinata shrugged, "The Hokage should get all the rest he can. You're back to work tomorrow." 

A long, drawn-out sigh escaped him. 

"At the very least," Naruto said with an apologetic smile, "Let me take us all to dinner as an apology. When was the last time we had a family outing?" 

"Before your inauguration, I'd say," Hinata's eyes wandered to the family pictures, "We went to Ichiraku's to celebrate."

He followed her gaze to their collection of precious memories. The moments he held closest to his heart were the moments when they were together. Everyone in the village was precious to him, yes - but there was nothing dearer than the people living in this house.

Hinata looked beautiful on their wedding day and every other day, but Naruto thought she glowed when she was pregnant. Her infectious laugh and gentle smile were enough to make him get out of bed in the morning. That rainy morning, he was so anxious when he was outside the hospital room. Hinata was in labour for a long, long time - and it was the longest six hours of his life. But then, Tsunade told him he could enter. And when he sprinted in, he saw his son.   
  
Boruto was born with bright yellow hair, and coincidentally - as quiet as a mouse. And just when he grew used to the idea of being a father to his precious boy, his heart exploded. Shizune placed an equally as quiet baby girl in Hinata's arms. Her hair was inky like her mothers, but the whiskers were a dead giveaway that it was Naruto's daughter. 

Nothing would ever be as cute as those two were. Small, innocent beings that desperately attempted to cling to each other even after they entered the world. Their closeness would prove a blessing in time. To Naruto, Himawari and Boruto were never really apart from each other. They had distinct personalities and different interest, but there was a mutual love and care for each other that he respected. Boruto hated it when anyone made Himawari upset. Himawari hated it when people underestimated Boruto. 

Naruto smiled widely as he wrapped Hinata in a sudden hug - squeezing his wife. 

"I love you, Hinata," Naruto said with a sheepish grin, "I love you and I appreciate all the work you do for us." 

"Naruto-kun," Hinata's cheeks turned pink, "Saying something like that so suddenly!" 

Boruto sneered in the background, "Mom, Dad, don't do gross stuff like that in the living room!" 

"Just because you can't express affection doesn't mean they don't have to, Boruto," Himawari retorted, "I think it's cute that Dad says dorky stuff like that."

Naruto turned his head, his two children stood by the doorway - watching him and Hinata with sly smiles. Boruto was in his usual attire - that black jacket with the red stripes, black pants and white undershirt was his go-to outfit from since he was nine. Himawari was far more fluid in her style, but Naruto thinks she came to a decision with this outfit. 

Himawari was fond of chainmail- the long sleeves peeked out from under her light yellow hoodie-dress. She also wore it to her knees (which is something he was guessing Hinata thought of since the dress itself finished by her thighs). He believed she was wearing a deep pink underdress as well - to match her pink waistband and armband. The ensemble suited her, it was bright and welcoming - much like she was.

"I was thinking we can go to Ichiraku's for dinner for a change," Naruto addressed his children, "It's been a while since we all hung out, ya'know?" 

Boruto cheered, "Alright! Let's go!" 

"You'll eat anything but a healthy meal, won't you?" Himawari's eyes narrowed, "I heard Ichiraku got a new pork-ramen, I'll try that." 

Naruto and Hinata exchanged knowing glances - internally laughing at their children's banter. 

The Uzumaki family was happy. That happiness stemmed not only from the joy inside the house - but the peace in the world beyond it. It was his duty as Hokage to keep that peace. That peace was what allowed Himawari and Boruto to be the brilliant, joyful - if not sometimes mischievous children they were. He would maintain the peace, and ensure that they'd live in a world where they never experienced the pain he did. 

Because to Uzumaki Naruto, the smiles of his children were the greatest thing on earth. 

And nothing, not even Kaguya herself, would stop him from protecting it. 


	2. Their Dream's Revelation

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We know we promised to interject minimally - but we're having more fun working on this than anything else. Send help. :D Also, the titles are references to anime-episodes, so if you know which ones - you know.

_"Hey Boruto, these ghost incidents are getting kind of complicated, huh?"_

With those words Uzumaki Boruto found himself stopping from playing the game in his hands, and looking up the person who spoke them. His younger sister - his twin sister, Uzumaki Himawari sat on her bed, lilac pyjamas on as she cuddled a Shukaku plushie lip curled to a frown. The older Uzumaki twin placed his game on her desk, brows gathered as he sighed loudly and scratched his head. As much as he didn't want to think about it - as always - Himawari was right. 

"Shino-sensei could have caused you, Mitsu-kun and Shika-chi serious harm," Himawari frowned, "He could have killed the three of you, easily. Mama always said he was a strong shinobi. These ghost incidents are getting out of hand." 

"Even if you say that where do we start?" 

"That strange energy that only you seem to see," the girl flung herself back onto the bed, "It's weird when I think about it. If it were chakra, I should be able to see it with my byakyugan but I don't see anything. I just feel this sense of dread when I'm around them. It's exhausting." 

Subconsciously, Boruto covered his right eye - expression souring as he looked down at his hand.

The unusual purple shadow that consumed others and turned them into monsters. To Boruto, it sounded like something out of a Kagemasa movie. Monsters were perhaps too harsh of a description, but Boruto found it difficult to describe anything that transformed usually passive or reasonable people like Denki and Shino into chaotic creatures as anything less. It lurked in the shadows, creeping up on the people he cared about and turned them angry. Anger that begets violence and destruction otherwise impossible. 

Why did he have the ability to see it? Why couldn't Himawari - his equally talented if not more so sister - see it? 

Himawari's eyes were perfect. She inherited their mother's byakyugan and her regular vision was nothing short of flawless. He and Himawari shared the same lineage; so why did this strange power only awaken inside him? 

In Himawari's arms now was no longer a plush of Shukaku, but a plush of Matatabi, it's distinct blue fur mimicking flames in the wind. Lining her bed where it touched the walls was a row of the Tailed Beasts - starting with the one-tailed tanuki and ending with the nine-tailed fox. Himawari spent her childhood collecting the plushies while Boruto collected Shinobi Cards - something that he remembered fondly. Himawari requested that Aunt Hanabi get her Son Goku - a toy that was only sold in Hidden Stone. Not only did Aunt Hanabi comply with her wish, but she also brought back Kokuo - completing the girl's collection.

Even though their father was absent, Himawari was so happy that day - Boruto couldn't help smiling at the thought of it.

"Ahem..." 

Himawari cleared her throat as if to disturb the prolonged silence. The older Uzumaki twin chuckled nervously. 

"Sorry about that, Hima," Boruto apologised quietly, "I got caught up thinking about something." 

Himawari smiled slyly, "Was Mitsuki burrowing in your thoughts?" 

"Why would I be thinking of Mitsuki?" Boruto narrowed his eyes, "What kind of weird thoughts are _you_ having?" 

"I was just thinking that you and Mitsuki seem to always be staring at each other," Himawari shrugged, "It's both super cute and super weird. He's only been here a month, but it's like you two know each other." 

"Mitsuki is _weird_ ," Boruto emphasised the word, "But I just think he's a good friend, ya'know?" 

Himawari sighed before gently patting Matatabi and placing him on the bed. She yawned loudly - getting off the bed and stretching. Her eyes immediately looked above her desk and the girl's face became serious, eyebrows straightening as she folded her arms. 

"No matter how I look at it, I can't find a connection," Himawari sighed, "Den-kun, Metal-kun, Shino-sensei, Magire-san and the Construction worker...The only thing they have in common is the shadow and the Academy, but even that's a loose connection." 

Boruto spun his chair around and looked at the corkboard where Himawari pinned their leads and all the information they had on the events. The information was hidden though - beneath a collage of Himawari's photos of family and friends, decorated by stickers and post-cards from various places. The older Uzumaki twin unfolded his arm and sighed loudly, ruffling his hair in annoyance. 

"Whatever's going on needs to be stopped and I know we can stop it," Boruto said with confidence, "I don't want this shadow thing to keep hurting people, especially people we know, ya'know?" 

"I agree with you entirely, but we're going to need help from someone to tackle this. Shikadai and Mitsuki would be my top bets," Himawari nodded, "And of course I'll support this investigation, no matter what. Let's hunt some ghosts, Boru-chan." 

Boruto lifted an eyebrow, "Ghosts?"

"Yeah. Weird Purple Shadow is a bit of a mouthful. Plus, it's behaving exactly like a ghost that's possessing people! Who knows maybe it's the vengeful spirit of a warrior from the Fourth Shinobi War who wants revenge for Konoha's peace at the cost of his life!" 

Boruto looked at his sister with a dead expression, "Inojin started lending you his horror DVDs didn't he?" 

"Have I been busted already?" Himawari stifled a chuckle, "I'm sorry. _Blood-Stained Samurai_ is a great movie!" 

There was a prolonged silence between them and then suddenly, the Uzumaki twins erupted into loud laughter. Were their mother not too busy washing the dishes and their father not absent, someone would have noticed the hearty howls coming from the youngest's room. It took them a while to gather their composure, but when they did, Himawari and Boruto gave each other a fist-bump. 

With smiles bright, the Uzumaki Twins looked at each other.

"If there's anyone who can solve it, we can, Boruto," Himawari said with a smile, "No one can stop us, so long as we're together." 

"The Uzumaki Twins are a force to be reckoned with," Boruto replied, "Let's make this ghost regret messing with our village." 

Under the silver light of moonlight, Uzumaki Himawari and Boruto promised to begin an investigation into the oddity terrorizing their hometown and the strangeness surrounding Boruto's new ability.

Boruto did not question whether or not he or Himawari could solve this peculiar mystery, the older Uzumaki only questioned if they would like the answer at the end of it. And for the younger Uzumaki, a strange sense of dread lurked with every question she asked - it made her heart ache and she knew not the reason why.

In separate rooms, they stared at the ceiling that night - unable to sleep because of strange thoughts swirling in their heads. Neither twin noticed when they fell asleep - only that they awoke drenched in sweat and their breaths heavy. It lingered in both their minds, a dream so realistic but distant that neither was able to fully grasp it. 

The man in the white robe, who was he? 

A question that lingered on both their minds, but was quickly shot down by other thoughts. The words he spoke felt too real to be a figment of the mind, yet believing the words of a dream felt difficult for the Uzumaki twins. And would their other twin even believe them in they said such a thing? Yes, their belief in each other was unconditional but something as ridiculous a dream is...

_The power of your bond will defeat a great evil,  
but only if you are willing to become the champions of justice needed to defeat it. _

_On the left a sleeping power that gazes into the past to protect the future,  
and the right, an eager power that provides a path of light among the darkness. _

_Alone you are powerful, but together - your bond gives infinite strength._

Ridiculous, right? 


End file.
